UAE urges caution as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida

The UAE Embassy in Washington urged UAE citizens residing in Florida to exercise caution, as Hurricane Milton approaches the peninsula. 

The mission "stresses the need to follow the safety instructions issued by the authorities, and to contact in emergency cases on 0097180024 or 0097180044444 and register in the Tawajudi service."

Milton, currently a Category 5 storm, is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida late Wednesday. Tampa, Fort Myers, and Naples are also expected to be notable affected by the storm. 

The hurricane was located about 650 km (405 miles) southwest of Tampa, packing maximum sustained winds of 260 kmh (160 mph).

The storm strengthened into one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record on Monday, prompting massive traffic jams and fuel shortages as officials ordered more than 1 million people to flee before it makes landfall. 

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned people against riding out the storm, calling Helene, another hurricane that hit Florida last week, a mere wakeup call.

"If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're going to die," Castor said.

"Milton's wind field is expected to expand as it approaches Florida. In fact, the official forecast shows the hurricane and tropical-storm-force winds roughly doubling in size by the time it makes landfall," the  the US National Hurricane Center said.

تهيب بعثة دولة الإمارات في واشنطن مواطني الدولة المتواجدين في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بضرورة توخي الحيطة والحذر بسبب الإعصار 'ميلتون' المتوقع في ولاية فلوريدا، وتحديداً في مناطق تامبا، فورت مايرز، نابولي، وخليج المكسيك.

— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) October 8, 2024